The Mean Cowboy
by KeikoTakagawa
Summary: Chelsea,an energetic and overly happy girl,has finally moved to Sunshine Islands to fulfill her dreams of becoming a great farmer like her father once was.One day,she meets Vaughn.The anti-social cowboy of the island.What kind of future awaits these two completely different people?
1. Chapter 1:Sunshine Islands?

_Hello all!~_

_I've been wanting to make a Harvest Moon fanfic for a while now,since I absolutely LOVE the game!_

_So here it is!~_

_Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer:I do not own Harvest Moon!(I own the game Harvest Moon Sunshine Islands though..Does that count?)_

* * *

**1st Person!**

"Chelsea!"I stopped mid-way of folding clothes that belonged to my family and looked in the direction of my mother's room.I saw my brother,Daniel,stepping out of said room.

I stood up and looked at him a bit worried."What is it,Daniel?"

He looked around a bit frantically.

"Have you seen mom's meds?She's having another coughing fit."He said.

My eyes widened as I quickly took out a small container of pills,that was kept safely in my jean pocket,and ran to my mother's room.

"Mom!"As soon as I entered,she stopped her coughing and removed her hands from her mouth.

She smiled at me as if nothing happened.

"Chelsea.."She said,trying to sound strong.

I knelt down at her bedside and handed her two pills."Mom,take those now!"

"Chelsea,I'm fine."She said with a smile.

I frowned at her.

"No,you're not!I know you've been coughing alot this week,so please don't lie to me!"I said sadly.

She looked at me with her blue eyes,the same ones I had,and just continued to smile.

"I'm sorry.I really didn't want to make you worry,Chelsea."She said weakly.

I stared at her sadly."I'm always gonna worry,Mom..."

She laughed a bit.

"I raised such a fine daughter!"She said proudly.

I smiled at her.

"Now take your pills!"I said,handing her a glass of water.

She pouted at me,brushing her curly black locks out of her pale face.

"Fine.."She said and did as she was told.

"CHELSEA!ALEX AND KRIS ARE HOME!"I heard Daniel announce loudly from the living room.

Just then,Alex and Kris,my other two older brothers,walked in the room along with Daniel.

"You're so loud!"Alex said irritated as he lightly punched the top of Daniel's head.

Daniel cried and ran over to me."CHELSEA!"

He hid behind me."HE HIT ME!"

Alex pointed at Daniel angrily.

"OI!STOP HIDING BEHIND CHELSEA!SHE CAN'T PROTECT YOU FOREVER!"He shouted.

I sighed.

"I can't believe you two are older than me..."I muttered.

Kris glared at the both of them."Be quiet you two."

Daniel immediately shut up,while Alex just crossed his arms with a grunt.

A look of realization soon crossed Kris's face.

"Chelsea,that **guy **was looking for you again..."He said in a dark voice.

My eyes widened a bit."What?"

"He was walking around our street when we got home."Kris said.

I looked down."I already told him it's over..."

Alex growled in anger.

"Apparantly,the bastard doesn't get it."Alex said annoyed."I'll have to beat him senseless until he does."

Daniel nodded in agreement."I'll help."

"Calm down,boys."Mom said,staring at them calmly."No need for violence."

"Mom,you know what he did to Chelsea!"Alex shouted."And even after the incident,he's been trying meet with her!"

"I don't think it's safe for Chelsea to be going around town anymore."Kris added.

Mom sighed."You're right."

She looked at me."Chelsea,I've been thinking about this for a while now and I think it's time for me to tell you."

I looked at her with confusion."What?"

"You always wanted to be a great farmer,right?"She asked."Like your father."

I nodded slowly.

"There's a place I want you to go to."She said."There,you could fulfill your dreams."

"It's a small island,far from this city."She continued."Go there."

"Whoa,what are you talking about mom?"Daniel's eyes widened."Sending Chelsea off to live on her own!"

"Is it really okay to send her off like that?"Kris asked,concerned.

"I'm just doing what's best for her."Mom said.

I looked at them.

"Wait,I can't just leave you here mom!"I said."I won't!"

she sighed."Chelsea..."

"No!I won't do it!"I said stubbornly."No,no,no!"

Kris put a hand on my shoulder."Chelsea,I know you want to stay here and take care of mom,but she has me,Alex and Daniel too."He said.

I stared at him in worry."Yeah,but..."

"We can handle everything here."Kris said."We just want you safe."

Alex put his hands behind his head.

"If it's for your safety,then I'm fine with it."He said.

Daniel nodded in agreement.

I stared at them.

After a while,I sighed.

"Fine...I'll go."I said.

* * *

_The next day..._

"I guess this is goodbye..."I said,trying to hold my tears back.

It was early in the morning and I had already said my goodbyes to my mother and Daniel,who were at the house.

My other brothers,Alex and Kris,were waiting with me at the dock for the ferry,when it had arrived.

"Yeah..."Alex said and handed me my luggage.

I took it and smiled at them sadly."I'll miss you guys..."

They both hugged me.

"We'll miss you too.."Kris said,a bit sadly.

Tears rolled down my face when they let go of me.

"Geez,stop crying."Alex sighed and wiped them away with his sleeve.

I pouted."I'm not crying!"

"Suuure."Alex laughed a bit as I glared at him.

Kris smiled at me."You better get going,Chels."

I sniffed and nodded.

I headed to the bridge that connected to the ferry and handed my ticket to a sailor.

"Name?"He asked in a gruff voice.

"Chelsea Rayne."I answered.

He quickly jotted it down on his notebook and let me board the ferry.

I waved goodbye to my brothers as I felt the ship start to move.

I stopped as soon as they disappeared from my view and sighed.

Is this really okay?

I looked at the clear blue sky.

"Sunshine Islands,huh..."I said with a distant look.

I then yawned and headed to my room to catch up on my sleep.

* * *

_And it has begun._

_Sorry that it's kinda short._

_I'm really tired right now and it's late._

_Um..Yeah._

_BYE!~_


	2. Chapter 2:New People And A Cowboy!

_Hi people!_

_Well,here is Chapter 2!_

_Enjoy if possible!_

_Disclaimer:I do not own Harvest Moon._

* * *

"FINALLY!"I exclaimed as soon as I stepped off the ferry and onto a dock that was connected to my destination.

Sunshine Islands.

I had gotten a bit seasick earlier on the ferry,so I was extremely glad to be back on land.

I looked around the area for a bit,then smiled.

Everything about this place was beautiful.

The ocean was a pretty shade of turquoise and was so clear that you could actually see various types of fish swimming around,near the shore.

The sand was a goldish color that seemed to shine in the sun and had no trash anywhere whatsoever.

The air was fresh and clear of pollution,which I was happy about.

It was so different from the city.

It was the most amazing place I've ever been to!

I happily sighed and closed my eyes,taking it all in.

"GET BACK HERE,WIMP!"

"GAHHH!"

"HEY,WATCH OUT!"

My eyes shot open when I suddenly hit the ground with something,or rather someone,landing on top of me.

"I-I'M SO SORRY!"A meek voice exclaimed.

I groaned and dizzily looked to see who the owner of the voice was.

It was a boy.

He had unusual pink hair with big brown eyes that hid beneath his round glasses and he looked around my age.

I stared at him."Um...could you get off of me?"

The awkward boy blushed deeply then jumped up.

"S-SORRY!"

I got up and brushed myself,before smiling at him.

"It's ok!"

He stared at me a bit with wide eyes and a deep blush.

"OI!"We both looked forward and saw a girl running towards us.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT,ELLIOT!?"She yelled angrily at the boy,who I'm guessing is Elliot.

Elliot seemed to shrink more and more as the girl continued to scold him.

She looked a bit like Elliot.

She had the same unusual pink hair and same eyes aswell.

Though I noticed that their personalities were very different.

"I'M SORRY,NATALIE!"Elliot apologized.

"Uh..."I said,catching their attention.

"Hey there!"The girl,Natalie,greeted me with a grin."I haven't seen you here before!"

"Hi,I'm Chelsea!"I smiled widely."I'm new here!"

"I'm Natalie!"Natalie introduced herself."And this dork is my brother Elliot!"

Elliot slightly glared at Natalie."Hey!"

"So,what are you doing here Chelsea?"Natalie asked,ignoring her brother.

I then remembered the whole reason I'm here for.

To become a great farmer like dad and...

To get away from..that person..

I looked at her with a smile.

"I want to become a farmer here!"I stated.

They both stared at me in slight surprise.

"Farmer?"Natalie questioned.

I nodded happily."Yup!"

Natalie just stood there and looked as if she was deep in thought.

"Wait,gramps could help you with that!"She said suddenly.

I raised an eyebrow.

Gramps?

Before I knew it,I was being dragged off by Natalie with Elliot following close behind.

"Where are we going?"I asked as she continued to drag me by my wrist,across a bridge.

Natalie turned back to me and grinned.

"To my gramps!He could help you become a farmer!"She said as we reached a small,but cute,home.

She opened the door with me still in her grasp and Elliot right behind me.

"Gramps!There's someone here that wants to become a farmer!"She exclaimed.

A small,old man poked his head out of one of the rooms and looked over at us.

"Farmer you say?"He said then made his way over to us.

"Gramps,this is Chelsea."Natalie gestured to me."She wants to be a farmer."

The old man's beady eyes darted to me then scanned me over.

"Yur pretty small,missy."He said."Ya think you can handle it?"

I immediately stood tall.

"I may be small,but I can handle alot more than you think."I said with confidence.

He studied me for a bit,before grinning.

"Well said,young missy!"He said."I see potential in you!"

"The name's Taro!"He said.

"Who's at the door,father?"A middle-aged woman with the same hair as the two siblings came out of a kitchen and saw me.

"Oh,who is this?"She asked politely.

"My name's Chelsea!Nice to meet you!"I said happily.

The kind-looking lady smiled at me warmly.

"Hello,I'm Felicia."The woman,Felicia,said.

She looked over at Natalie and Elliot."I see you've met my kids."

I had a look of realization.

That explains why they all look alike.

"Chelsea,there's something I want to show you."Taro said,catching my attention.

I tilted my head in curiosity then smiled."Ok!"

* * *

"WOW!"I pretty much yelled in amazement.

It was a small house with open fields and a run-down barn close by.

To people,it wasn't much.

But to me,it was a new beginning.

"Chelsea,I'm entrusting my old farm to you."Taro said.

I looked at him with wide eyes."Huh?"

Taro looked up at the sky."I've been searching for someone who had the potential to take care of my farm and more importantly,the island."

"And I think you're that person."He said,looking at me.

My eyes probably popped out of my head at that moment.

"Chelsea,this farm is yours."Taro said with a grin."Take care of it and help it grow for the island."

I didn't know what to say.

I was so happy at the moment.

And extremely grateful.

"Thank you."I said after a moment."I promise to take real good care of it."

I then smiled brightly."You can count on me!"

Taro grinned."So,you think of a name for your new ranch?"

I paused.

"Sunny."I said."Sunny Farm."

* * *

After settling in a bit at my new house,I had walked around the islands.

I had met a few residents here during my walk.

Lanna was the first one I met.

I liked her because of how nice and fun-loving she was.

She even told me she used to be a popstar,but was now on a break.

It surprised me,but didn't change my thoughts about her.

Denny was the second person I met.

He seemed cool and was an absolute fishing maniac.

I remembered Lanna telling me how much she loved to fish and instantly thought that these two probably got along well.

I also met Sabrina and Pierre.

Sabrina was extremely shy when I first met her,but she was very nice.

When I met Pierre,I thought he was a kid,but soon discovered that he was around my age and was a food gourmet!

I've also met Gannon,Eliza,Regis,Charlie and Chen so far.

Right now,I was walking back to my new home when I spotted a shop I haven't been to yet.

I found myself just staring at the shop,standing right infront of it.

I couldn't really tell what kind of shop it was and had the urge to walk inside.

So,I did.

As soon as I opened the door,I heard the small bell connected to the door chime.

"Welcome!"I looked to see a beautiful blonde girl with bright blue eyes smiling at me.

She took another look at me and tilted her head in curiosity.

"I've never seen you around."She said."What's your name?"

"I'm Chelsea!Nice to meet you!"I said and smiled.

The girl then broke out into a huge grin."I'm Julia!Nice to meet you too!"

"Are you a new resident here?Where are you staying?Did you bring your family aswell?"Julia threw questions at me left to right in excitement.

"Julia!Have some manners!"An old woman came out from the back door of the shop and scolded Julia.

"But,it's soooo exciting to have another girl around!"Julia exclaimed happily.

The old woman just sighed and turned to me.

"Hello,I'm Mirabelle."The old woman,Mirabelle,said kindly."I am Julia's mother and the owner of this shop."

I smiled at her then decided to ask a question."What kind of shop is this?"

"It's an animal shop!"Julia said with enthusiasm."You buy animals or animal products here!"

My eyes lit up instantly and I started to feel excitement explode in me.

"Animals?"I said with excitement.

Julia grinned.

"Yup!But we're not the ones who bring them here though."I raised my eyebrow at that.

Julia just smiled and pointed to the corner of the shop where there was a small table and a...man sitting on a chair.

He was wearing dark clothing with a brown vest and cowboy boots.

To top it all off,he wore a black stetson hat that covered his face and most of his,what it seemed like,silver hair.

In short,he looked like a cowboy.

A real life cowboy.

My eyes widened a bit in slight shock.

How did I NOT notice him there?

"That's Vaughn!"Julia said."He's the animal trader and he's my cousin!"

The cowb-I mean,Vaughn,glanced over at us from under his black stetson.

His eyes soon travelled to me and just stayed there.

They were completely void of emotion,which made it hard to figure out what he was thinking.

I snapped out of it when I realized I had been staring and slowly walked over to him.

"Hi,I'm Chelsea!It's nice to meet you!"I said with a bright smile.

He just continued to stare at me with cold eyes,not saying anything.

I started to get a bit nervous.

"Vaughn!You should at least say hi back!"Julia crossed her arms.

Vaughn glanced at Julia with annoyance than back to me,before getting up and walking right past me and straight out the door.

I stood there.

What the...

WHAT WAS THAT!?

I turned and glared at the door he just walked through.

I was seriously hoping my glares were reaching him.

What he just did was downright mean!

Was it really THAT difficult to greet me back?

"I'm sorry about him,Chelsea."Julia apologized."He has always been like that."

Mirabelle sighed."Vaughn likes to keep to himself and is very unsociable with people."

I looked at them,confused."Why?"

They looked at eachother.

"Sorry,it is not our place to tell."Mirabelle said.

I nodded then smiled at them.

"It's alright."I said."Well,I better get going."

"It was nice meeting you!"I said as I headed towards the door.

"COME BACK SOON!"Julia shouted with a huge smile.

I smiled back with a nod and left.

Walking home,I started thinking about Vaughn.

So,there was actually a reason why he acts the way he does.

Not just to be mean.

I smiled to myself in determination.

I'll learn more and more about him little by little!

And maybe one day,he will open up to me!

One day...

* * *

_CHAPTER 2 IS COMPLETE!_

_PROGRESS!_

_Anyways,hoped you guys liked it as much as I had!_

_See you later!~_


	3. Chapter 3:I Want To Be Your Friend!

_Sniff..._

_I caught a damn cold..._

_THAT WILL NOT STOP ME FROM UPDATING THOUGH!_

_So,here is Chapter 3!_

_Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer:Actually,yeah.I do own Harvest Moon..._

_Ok,I don't...shut up..._

* * *

"DONE!"I smiled widely,feeling extremely proud of myself.

I had just finished fixing up the old house Taro gave me to live in.

The wooden floors had been polished and no longer had any holes in them.

The ceiling didn't leak like it used to and was repainted pure white.

New furniture were placed where I imagined it would be and the air smelled like flowers instead of dust and garbage.

It was a really comfy home.

It was my home.

I dropped to the floor in exhaustion and put a hand over my face.

I then felt a soft fabric.

It was the red bandana I always used.

The red bandana my father gave to me when he was still here.

It was very precious to me.

I kept it for so long.

I jumped back up on my feet and slapped both of my cheeks.

"No time to feel down,Chelsea!"I said to myself."You got work to do!"

I then headed out to my fields and started clearing them of weeds and unwanted rocks and boulders.

* * *

Tired.

I was EXTREMELY tired.

Clearing the fields and fixing the old barn took alot outta me.

I didn't want to do anything at the moment.

But,I was hungry.

Right now,I was dragging myself from my farm and towards Nick's Diner.

Denny suggested that I try eating out at this place,saying that the food was awesome.

I looked like a complete mess though.

I was covered in dirt and grass were sticking out of my clothes and hair.

I didn't even try fixing myself up.

I was way too tired.

When I reached the diner,I opened the door and heard a small chime.

I looked forward and made my way to the counter to place my order.

"Hi!Can I have the grilled fish?"I smiled politely at the man,who was behind the counter.

Lanna told me the grilled fish was amazing so I wanted to try it out myself.

The man,who I'm guessing is Nick,smiled at me."One grilled fish coming right up!"

I payed Nick and sat down at a table near a window.

I looked around,admiring the place,but stopped when I saw a familiar black stetson.

Vaughn was here.

He sat in a corner,eating his food slowly.

I debated on whether to greet him or just stay put.

He would most likely say nothing like last time if I greeted him.

But,I didn't care.

I got up and walked over to him.

I smiled as he looked over at me and scowled a bit.

"Hi,Vaughn!"I said cheerily.

He said nothing.

Yup.

I was right.

"Sooo,what brings you here?"I asked,trying to strike up a conversation.

He glanced at his food and looked back at me as if I were an idiot.

I laughed sheepishly.

"Haha...right.."I said stupidly.

I noticed that he kept observing me.

Then,I realized what a mess I was.

I scratched the back of my head,suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"I just finished fixing my farm."I said.

Vaughn's eyes widened a little from under his hat,but his face went back to it's stoic self.

"Oh yeah!I forgot to tell you!"I said in realization."I'm actually the new farmer here!"

Vaughn stared at me in disbelief.

I just smiled at him.

He then scoffed and got up.

"You're annoying."Vaughn said for the first time and glared at me a bit,before leaving.

I stared at the door in slight shock.

W...

WHAT THE HECK!?

I'M ANNOYING!?

I DON'T CARE IF HE IS MEAN FOR A REASON!

HE SHOULDN'T ACT LIKE A TOTAL-

"Um...Miss?"

I turned around angrily and saw Nick with my food.

"Your food is done."He said,a bit nervously.

I huffed and sat down.

"Thanks..." I muttered as he set it down on the table infront of me.

He nodded and walked away.

Stupid Vaughn.

Now,I'm in a bad mood.

It's all his fault.

I continued muttering angrily to myself as I ate my anger away.

After I finished,I left and wandered around the islands.

I soon found myself in Chen's shop,browsing at the interesting items.

"Hey,lady!"Charlie greeted me happily with Eliza next to him.

"Guess what!"I looked at the excited Eliza and smiled.

"What?"I asked,curiously.

"I beat Charlie at rock-paper-scissors five times!"She said proudly.

Charlie frowned."Let's go again!If I win,you hafta be my girlfriend!"

Eliza sighed."I only like older guys,Charlie."

"You have to no matter what!"Charlie said.

I laughed a bit at the scene.

It was too cute!

"I think you two would look cute together!"I said.

Charlie's eyes seemed to gleam at that,while Eliza looked horrified.

"A beautiful girl like me would look so much better with a handsome prince!"Eliza said,a bit snobbish.

"Princes don't exist,so be my girlfriend!"Charlie said persistently.

I laughed as they continued to argue.

They are so cute.

"Chelsea,I have something to show you."I looked over at Chen.

What is it?"I walked over to him.

He took out two small pouches from a shelf and handed them to me.

"These are strawberry and potato seeds."Chen said."I wanted to know if you wanted to try growing them."

I looked at him with excitement."SURE!"

"How much?"I asked.

Chen smiled."Take them."

My eyes widened a little."Chen,that's really kind,but I can't."

He laughed a bit."Think of it as a small welcoming gift."

I stared at Chen a bit,then smiled.

"Thanks,Chen!"I said gratefully.

"I promise to bring back some strawberries and potatoes for you when they're fully grown!"I said,heading towards the door.

Chen nodded with a smile."Have a nice day."

* * *

"Hehe!~I can finally start planting!~"I said to myself as I happily skipped around the beach of Verdure Island.

"Planting!~Planting!~Whee!~"I sang without a care in the world.

I stopped when I felt someone staring at me.

I looked around and spotted Vaughn,standing under a tree.

He was staring at me,but at the same time he looked as if was in deep thought.

I stared back at him.

Ok,Chelsea.

Attempt number three to get Vaughn to be your friend.

You can do this!

I smiled brightly at him and waved."Hi,Vaughn!"

Vaughn snapped out of his thoughts and he glared at me.

I ran over to him,a smile still on my face."What'cha doing here?"

He didn't say anything,but continued to glare at me.

He can glare all he wants.

I won't leave till he has a nice conversation with me.

"How's your day?Do you like the beach?I do!It's so pretty!~"I continued to talk about anything.

That is,until he started to walk away from me.

He's not getting rid of me that easily.

Vaughn glanced back and glared when he saw that I was following him.

"It's very rude to walk away when someone is talking to you!"I scolded him.

"Go away."He said coldly."You're annoying."

"So,what do you do when you're not working?"I asked,completely ignoring what he just said.

He frowned deeply.

"Leave me alone."He said and turned his back to me,walking off.

Step...

Step..

...Step..

...Step...

He growled a bit to himself in irritation.

"Quit following me."Vaughn shot a glare at me.

I smiled at him,not affected by his glares.

"What's your favorite food?"I asked.

He stared at me in frustration."Why are you trying so hard to annoy me?"

I smiled."I want to be your friend!"

Vaughn stared.

"I don't need friends."He said and tried walking away again.

I started following him again.

Vaughn looked back and quietly cursed.

Then,he tried quickening his steps in hopes of me giving up.

Yeeaahh...

Didn't happen.

I copied him,quickening my steps aswell.

Vaughn finally stopped and deeply sighed.

He turned to me fully with an annoyed look.

"Why do you want to be my friend?"He asked in irritation.

I gave him a big smile.

"Because you're mean."

He gave me a weird look."...Because..I'm...mean?"

I nodded.

"I thought that if you had at least one friend,then you wouldn't be so mean anymore!"I said."And because you look kinda lonely and sad whenever I see you..."

Vaughn stared at me.

He then turned and pulled his hat down a little to hide his face.

"Like I said,I don't need friends."Vaughn glared at me coldly."Now,leave me alone."

He walked away,but I didn't follow him this time.

I frowned to myself.

"Everyone needs a friend..."I said even though he was out of earshot.

I looked at him,his back still turned to me.

I breathed in deeply.

"BYE VAUGHN!"I shouted as loudly as I could.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

After a moment,he continued to walk.

I smiled at his disappearing form.

"I'll definently become your friend,Vaughn!"

* * *

_WHOO!_

_CHAPTER 3 DONE!_

_Sorry for any typos or grammar problems!_

_I'm in a bit of a rush!_

_Anyways,hope you liked it!_

_See you later!~_


	4. Chapter 4:Amethyst Eyes

_Hi!_

_I feel as though I've been updating super slow..._

_Actually,I think I have..._

_I can't help it though..._

_Stupid homework is out to get me..._

_Anyways,here is Chapter 5!_

_Hope you like it...I guess._

_Disclaimer:Did I mention that I didn't own Harvest Moon?_

_Cause I don't..._

* * *

Two weeks has passed since I started living here.

And I've actually been doing really good with everything.

The seeds that I planted a few days ago were already sprouting out of the ground and I had gotten a chicken coop built here from Gannon!

Currently, I was heading down to the animal shop with a chocolate bar in hand.

It was for Vaughn.

Julia told me that Vaughn comes to the island on Mondays and Tuesdays.

And today was one of those days.

I bought the chocolate bar in yet another attempt to befriend the anti-social cowboy.

This is actually what I did everytime Vaughn was on the island.

But unfortunately, he still hasn't warmed up to me.

He never even accepted my small gifts!

Anyways, when I had finally made it to my destination, I opened the door, hearing a familiar chime.

"Chelsea!"Julia exclaimed happily when she saw me."Good morning!"

I smiled widely at her."Morning!"

She strode over to me and spotted the chocolate bar that was still in my hand.

Julia grinned."Vaughn again?"

I gave a sheepish smile."Yup."

"Oh,and I would also like to purchase a baby chick and bird feed while I'm at it!"I looked at her with excitement.

Julia stared at me with surprise.

"You already have a chicken coop?"She asked.

"Yeah!"I said."I had Gannon build me one not too long ago."

"Wow,Chels!"Julia said in slight shock."That's amazing!You haven't even been here long!"

I just grinned at her.

"You can make your purchase at the counter with mom!"Julia said.

I nodded and walked over to Mirabelle.

After making the purchase,Julia glanced over at me then grinned.

"VAUGHN!YOUR ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED!"She shouted suddenly.

A few moments later, Vaughn descended down the stairs with his usual stoic face.

"Vaughn,be a dear and escort Chelsea to the chickens."Julia smiled sweetly at him."And help her bring her bird feed back to her farm."

Vaughn glanced at her then at me.

He wordlessly walked past us and went to the back, where the animals were kept.

"Good luck!"Julia whispered loudly to me with a grin as I followed Vaughn.

I grinned back at her and left to the back with Vaughn infront of me.

I squealed when I saw all the chickens happily pecking at the ground.

THEY WERE SO CUTE!

I looked around and saw a very small chick.

It was a really light shade of yellow and had some white streaks in it's feathers.

I noticed that it was avoiding the crowds of chickens and just stayed in a corner.

I frowned to myself.

I walked over to it slowly and knelt down infront of it.

It jumped a little in shock and moved back.

"It's ok!"I smiled at it warmly."I won't hurt you."

It stared at me for a while, then moved a bit closer.

"What's wrong?"I asked."Why aren't you playing with the others?"

It looked as if it understood me and stared at the other chickens with sadness.

I guess it was sad because it felt left out...

I slowly stuck my hand out and pet it gently on it's head.

I felt it tense a bit in shock, but surprisingly, it didn't move away.

It just stared at me with curiosity in it's eyes.

"It's better to have friends then to be alone."I smiled."That way,you can be happy."

It continued to stare at me.

Then, it chirped at me with happy eyes.

It then ran off to the others, playfully flapping it's tiny wings.

I got up and looked back at Vaughn, who was staring at me.

I smiled brightly at him.

"Look,Vaughn!It looks happy!"I exclaimed."Isn't that great?"

He just stared at me with no emotion, then pulled his hat down further to cover his eyes.

I tilted my head to the side, then remembered something.

"Oh yeah!"I walked over to Vaughn and held out the chocolate I bought for him.

"Here you go,Vaughn!"I smiled.

He looked at it, but made no move to take it.

"...Why are you always trying to give me those?"He asked.

"Because I want to be your friend!"I said with determination.

"How many times are you gonna make me say it?I don't need friends."Vaughn said coldly.

"Everyone needs a friend,Vaughn!"I said.

Vaughn scowled."Not me."

I frowned."Take it."

"No."

"Take it."

"No."

"Please?"

"...No."

I pouted and was about to say something, but stopped when something soft ran into my leg.

I looked down and saw the same tiny chick, chirping happily at me.

I looked at it curiously as it continued to chirp at me.

"...It likes you."Vaughn said suddenly.

I looked at him in surprise.

I looked back at the small animal and knelt down.

"Do you wanna come home with me?"I asked it.

The chick chirped excitedly, making me smile widely.

"I take that as a yes!"I picked it up gently with my free hand and cuddled it close to my face.

"You're so cute!~"I cooed."Isn't it cute,Vaughn?"

Vaughn looked at the small chick.

His eyes softened a bit, surprising me, but then it went back to it's usual emotionless look.

"Let's go."Vaughn turned away and began walking back.

I followed after him with the small chick still in my hand.

After grabbing the two bags of bird feed, we started heading to my farm.

I glanced at Vaughn and instantly felt bad.

He was carrying the two bags because I had to hold my new baby chick.

"Umm...aren't those bags heavy?"I asked quietly, looking at the small chick that was sleeping in my hand.

Vaughn glanced at me."Not really."

We continued walking in silence and before I knew it, we reached my newly made chicken coop.

I gently put the sleeping chick down and turned to Vaughn.

"You can put the bags down in that corner."I told him.

He nodded and did as I said.

"You know how to put the feed in the feed dispenser?"Vaughn asked, looking at me.

I nodded.

"Then,I'll be going."He said, walking towards the door.

"Wait!"I said and walked to him.

I held out the chocolate to him.

"...Didn't I tell you already?I don't wan-"

"Thank you for everything!"I said, cutting him off.

"I really mean it."I said."So..."

I looked down and shut my eyes.

Everything was silent.

It felt like we stood like this for hours.

I felt all my hope die when nothing happened.

Suddenly, the chocolate bar was gently taken out of my hand, shocking me.

I looked up at Vaughn with wide eyes.

His hat was covering his eyes, so I couldn't see what expression he was making.

He turned away and was about to open the door, snapping me out of my shocked state.

"W-wait...ah!"I tripped just when Vaughn faced me and collided into him.

We both fell forward, Vaughn's back hitting the wall while I landed into his chest.

I looked up and soon regretted it.

His face was inches away from mine.

I could see his eyes so perfectly now.

They were a very deep shade of purple.

Amethyst eyes.

I stared as he stared back at me, neither of us moving.

I suddenly remembered the position we were in and immediately jumped away, my face burning bright red.

"SORRY!"I exclaimed, embarrassed.

Vaughn said nothing, but cover his face further with his hat.

He then left without a word.

What...just happened?

I put both of my hands on my face that was still red.

THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!

I put a hand on my chest.

My heart is beating really fast...

I jumped a little in surprise when I heard cheeping.

I turned and saw that my baby chick had woken up and was staring at me curiously.

I smiled and knelt down."Hey there!"

It ran towards me, cheeping.

"This is your new home!"I smiled as it hopped onto my lap."Now,what should I name you?"

"Cheeper?"I suggested.

It shook it's tiny head.

"Hmm...Feathers?"

It looked at me in horror.

I laughed lightly."Guess not."

I thought for a while.

"What about Tiny?"

It cheeped and jumped.

I smiled."I dub you as Tiny then!"

I brought Tiny to my face and nuzzled it.

After feeding Tiny, I left and went to my house.

I needed to call my family.

I haven't heard from them in a while, which worried me.

I grabbed my phone as started dialing the numbers.

"Helllllloooo?"A familiar voice picked up.

I smiled."Hey,Daniel!"

"CHELSEA!?IS THAT YOU!?"He shouted over the phone, causing me to flinch.

"Ow...yeah."I said.

"GUYS!IT'S CHELSEA!"I heard shouting in the background.

"GIMME THE DAMN PHONE DANIEL!"

"NEVER!"

"OW!YOU LITTLE!"

"AHHHH!"

"CHELSEA?"It was Alex's voice.

"Hi,Alex!"I said happily.

"HOW ARE YOU?ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF?DO YOU WANT ME TO COME OVER AND-"

"I'm fine!"I laughed, cutting him off."Don't worry!"

"I can't help it!It's like you've been gone for months!"He said.

"Put her on speaker!"

"GO AWAY YOU IDIOT!"Alex shouted.

More shouting was heard, then suddenly, everything went silent.

"Hello?"

"Kris?"I said.

"How are you,Chels?"Kris asked with concern.

"I'm fine."I said with a smile."I missed you guys though..."

"We missed you too,Chelsea."A tear ran down my cheek.

I roughly wiped my tears away and smiled."How's mom?"

"She's doing fine."He said."Don't worry."

"Has she been taking her meds?"I asked with worry.

Kris laughed."Chelsea,I already told you not to worry!"

"She's doing fine!"He said."She's taking a nap right now."

I sighed in relief."That's good."

"Anyways,I better go now.I have to go to work."Kris said."I'll talk to you later,ok?"

"Ok."I smiled warmly."Bye."

"Bye,Chels."

"WAIT I WANNA TALK TO CHE-"

Beeeeeep...

I laughed a little and put the phone down.

It's been a while since I heard their voices.

I missed them so much.

I sighed and plopped down on my bed.

"I'll bring you guys here one day."

* * *

_Phew..._

_Done.._

_And it's only...2:06AM..._

_Wow..._

_Well,hope you liked it._

_Now, I am off to bed!_

_Bye!~_


	5. Chapter 5:Unexpected Friendship

_Hi!_

_I'm bored and I have time soo..._

_Here is Chapter 5!_

_Hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer:I do not own Harvest Moon._

* * *

"Cheeellssseeeaaaa..."

I looked over at Julia from my spot on a chair and raised an eyebrow.

We were currently just hanging out in her room, after I had finished my farm work.

"What?"I asked.

She rolled over onto her stomach on her place of her bed and looked at me with a pout."Do you think Elliot likes me?"

My eyes widened in surprise."You're interested in Elliot?"

Julia blushed a deep shade of red.

"Well...yeah..."She covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her blush.

Julia likes Elliot?

That's...unexpected...

"I didn't know he was your type."I grinned at her.

Julia looked at me."I didn't either."

"He's just so cute and sweet and adorable and-"She continued to go on about Elliot, saying sweet things about him with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"So what about you,Chels?"Julia asked suddenly."Who do you like?"

I looked at her with wide eyes."What?"

"Who do you like?"She asked, more slowly this time.

"Noone."I answered truthfully.

Julia was not satisfied with that.

"C'mon,Chelsea!There's gotta be someone you're a BIT interested in!"She exclaimed.

"Oh,wait..."She had a look of realization."Is it Vaughn?"

I almost fell out of my chair.

"WHAT!?"I about shouted."WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT!?"

Julia had a thoughtful look."Aren't you always trying to give him gifts?"

I stared at her as if she was crazy."Julia,I want to be his _friend_."

"Nothing more."I said.

Julia pouted at me."I thought you guys were beginning to fall for eachother!"

I raised an eyebrow."Why would you say that?"

"I caught Vaughn blushing when he came back from helping you yesterday."She said.

I stared at her in shock.

Yesterday...

I tripped...

And fell on him...

Wait...

He was blushing?!

Maybe...he was just sick?

Yeah!That's it!

He couldn't have possibly been blushing because of that...

Right?

I blushed at the thought, making Julia's eyes go wide.

"I WAS RIGHT WASN'T I?!"She shouted and started jumping on her bed."CHELSEA LIKES VAUGHN!~CHELSEA LIKES VAUGHN!~"

I got up and stared at her in horror."I DO NOT!"

"Be quiet!Someone might hear you!"I whispered to her harshly.

_Knock knock._

We both froze.

I slowly looked at the door and back at Julia, who was staring at me in slight shock.

She jumped off her bed and hurriedly walked to the door.

When she opened it, I almost cried.

Vaughn was at the door.

DID HE HEAR EVERYTHING!?

"WHY ME!?"I thought, mentally crying.

"Mirabelle needs to talk to you,Julia."He said smoothly.

Julia nodded.

We all walked downstairs and into the kitchen, where Mirabelle was at.

"What's up,Mom?"Julia asked.

"Julia,I need you to run some errands for me!"Mirabelle said as she handed Julia a piece of paper."Everything I need is there."

Julia nodded with a smile."Sure thing,Mom!"

"And Vaughn!"Mirabelle turned to said person."The animals need to be fed."

She then turned to me with a smile."If it's no trouble,could you please help Vaughn with that?We have quite a few animals in the back."

Vaughn looked as if he was about to object, but stopped when Mirabelle shot him a look.

I glanced at him, then back at Mirabelle.

"I don't want to be a bother to anybody."I said to her with a smile.

Mirabelle laughed good-naturedly."Nonsense!You'd be a great help!"

I smiled at her."Ok then."

Vaughn sighed to himself as he started walking towards the back room.

He stopped in his tracks and looked back at me."You coming or what?"

My eyes widened and I followed him as he continued walking.

As we entered the back door, I smiled widely at the sight.

Not only were there chickens, but there were cows, sheep, and horses aswell.

"Grab the bag of chicken feed over there and start feeding the chickens."Vaughn directed.

I saluted to him and did as I was told.

I grabbed the large bag of chicken feed and hauled it over to the chickens.

After feeding them, I ran over to Vaughn, who was tending to the sheep.

"Anything else,boss?"I grinned at him.

Vaughn looked at me from beneath his hat then glanced over at the cows.

"Feed the cows."He said.

I nodded and did so.

When I got to the last cow, I smiled at it's look of excitement.

"Here you go!~"I sang and fed it.

It mooed happily and dug in.

Before I could take a step back, it looked back up at me and licked my face.

I stared at it, a bit surprised, but then started laughing.

"Haha!I like you!"I smiled as I pet it's head, earning another lick to my face.

I glanced back when I felt a stare and saw Vaughn staring at me.

Suddenly, I remembered the incident yesterday along with the conversation I had with Julia and blushed deep red.

He looked a bit taken aback at my reaction and looked away.

Did he really hear our conversation?

What if he did!?

What am I gonna do!?

Many thoughts raced through my head and I felt my face getting hotter by the second.

"Hey."I jumped and whirled around to come face to face with Vaughn.

When did he...!?

He suddenly placed a gloveless hand on my forehead, surprising me.

"Are you sick?"He asked in a serious voice, staring at me with his beautiful amethyst eyes.

...Beautiful?

What?

My eyes widened and I blushed even more in embarrassment.

"I...I'm not..."I stuttered.

"Why is your face red?"Vaughn asked, taking his hand away from my forehead.

"Um...I-It's nothing..."I muttered as I looked away, fidgeting with the hem of my yellow shirt.

When he didn't say anything, I glanced up at him and my eyes widened.

He was staring down at me with a slight smirk on his face.

"Weirdo."He said, his smirk widening.

I stared at him, shocked.

Bump!

B-Bump!

What..?...

My heart...

It's beating fast...

"I-I'm not a weirdo!"I exclaimed loudly.

Vaughn continued to smirk.

"C'mon."He said as he turned towards the door."We're done."

I pouted, but said nothing as I began to follow him.

"You two are finished already?"Mirabelle asked us in surprise, when we returned.

I smiled at her, while Vaughn just nodded, his stoic face once again showing.

She clasped her hands together."Great job!That was faster than I expected!"

"...She actually speeded things up.."I turned to Vaughn in slight shock.

"Did he...praise me?"I thought, still in shock.

"I knew she would be a great help!"Mirabelle said, smiling at me."Thank you for helping Vaughn,Chelsea."

I looked at Mirabelle and smiled widely."It was no problem at all!"

"Well,I better get going."I said."It's getting late."

"...I'll walk you home."Vaughn said suddenly.

I looked at him, surprised.

"It's fine!I don't want to trouble you!"I said after recovering from my shock.

But to be honest...

I was really happy.

I wasn't sure why getting to spend time with Vaughn more made me like this.

Maybe it was because I felt like I could finally earn his friendship by being with him more often.

But...

I didn't think that was the case...

"It's dangerous to be walking home at night."Vaughn said."Let me walk you there."

I stared at him.

Who knew Vaughn could be a gentleman?

I smiled."Ok."

After saying my goodbyes to Mirabelle and Julia, I headed back to my farm with Vaughn at my side.

Once we made it to my doorstep, I turned to him and smiled warmly.

"Thanks for walking me,Vaughn."I said gratefully."I really appreciate it."

He simply nodded and turned, about to leave.

I don't why, but before I knew it, I had gripped his sleeve.

Vaughn looked down at me questioningly as I stared at him with wide eyes.

Why did I...

"Uh...sorry."I murmured, releasing him."It's just..."

"You're leaving today,right?"I glanced up at him.

"Yeah..."Vaughn said."Why?"

I scratched the back of my head, sheepishly.

"Um...I'm..gonna miss you.."I said softly.

Vaughn's eyes widened a bit and quickly hid his face with his hat.

"I mean,as a friend!"I said quickly, blushing.

"But..."I looked down."You don't consider me as a friend..."

Vaughn WAS the antisocial cowboy...

Of course he wouldn't consider a person like me his friend...

And I knew that.

But then...

Why was I feeling sad?

"...I do."Vaughn said quietly.

I looked at him, shocked."What?"

"I consider you as a friend."He said, more louder this time, hiding his face further with his hat.

I was so shocked.

It was like I couldn't think of anything, but only what he said.

I wanted to respond, but nothing came out of my mouth.

So instead of using my words, I hugged him.

He stiffened at my touch, but eventually relaxed and just stood there.

We stood like that for a good minute, before I released him.

"...Do friends do that often?"Vaughn asked quietly,tipping his hat.

I smiled at him widely."Yup!So get used to it!"

Vaughn sighed and looked back."I better go."

I nodded, a bit sadly, but smiled anyways."See you next week,Vaughn!"

He nodded."Bye."

And with that, he left.

I stared off into the distance.

"Bye..."

* * *

_"Chelsea..."_

_I ran as fast as I could._

_I didn't know why I was running._

_I just knew I had to leave._

_And fast._

_"Chelsea..."_

_That voice..._

_It was so familiar and yet..._

_It terrified me._

_"Chelsea!"_

_It kept getting louder with each step I took._

_Suddenly, I tripped, falling to the ground, hard._

_"Found you."_

_I turned my head to see who the owner of the voice was and saw..._

_"Why'd you run,Chelsea?"_

_My eyes widened in terror._

_It was him._

_The man that haunted my past._

_The man that scarred me._

_The man that I once loved._

_His hand came towards me, making me flinch._

_"Don't run from me,Chelsea."_

_No..._

_Don't..._

_NO!_

"NO!"I yelled as I shot up in a sitting position.

I looked around me, terrified.

IS HE HERE!?

I then realized I was in my bedroom, at the farm.

I sighed deeply and tried to calm my beating heart.

Just a nightmare...

I laid back down, still feeling scared.

"What if he finds me?"I thought that same question over and over again, until I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"Someone...help me..."I cried, clutching my chest.

But, nobody was here.

It was just me.

Alone...

I cried harder.

"I'm alone..."

* * *

_Yaawwnn..._

_Well,I'm tired._

_Anyways, I hope you liked it!_

_I'm gonna go now._

_So...yeah._

_Read and review and all that stuff..._

_Bye!_


End file.
